Shaded in Gray
by PaintedinAllColors
Summary: When a strange man offers Sapphire a job as a martial artist, she accepts. But she has no idea what she's gotten herself into. With old friends becoming new enemies, she's thrown into a world of confusion. Lemon in later chapters. KlausXOC.
1. Chapter 1

Me: Heyya, guys and girls. Sorry I disappeared off the face of the Earth for some time, I was working on this story. Just a couple of things before we start- I'm having a major writer's block on Road Trip To Forks and Hell? More Like Heaven If You Ask Me. I've got a couple of ideas, but I'm working on it. So-

Damon: HELLO, PEOPLEZ WHO ACTUALLY READ THIS CRAP! GET A LIFE!

Me: You IDIOT! Don't be mean!

Damon: Sorry, Painted-chan.

Stefan: Did you just make Damon apologize? I bow to you, O Great Painted-sama. May I say the disclaimer?

Damon: No, I get to say it! She likes me better! *runs off chasing Stefan*

Klaus: Morons...

Me: Tell me about it. Say the disclaimer?

Klaus: Nah, I just wanted to insult them.

Me: Oh... Well, I'll say the disclaimer! I don't own Bleach, the Vampire Diaries, Wammy's House, or that 70's show, although I do currently possess the DVD'S for Seasons 1&2.

* * *

><p>He watched the girl from the shadows. She was quite a good fighter, although she didn't look it. Yes, she would make an excellent addition to his company, Shadow Souls. He nodded approvingly as he seemingly melted into the shadow behind the dojo, leaving to get her address, age, phone number, and, most importantly, her name.*<p>

!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!

"Well done," Damon Salvatore said. "I wasn't sure if you could actually…," he trailed off at the sight of the murderous glare he was receiving from his best friend.

"Shut up, Damon," Sapphire grumbled. "I was perfectly capable of winning. I was observing his style before I attacked."

"Sure," he replied, rolling his eyes and dodging a hairbrush. "Let's get back home; I'll call Elena, Stefan, Katherine, Jeremy, Alaric, and Bonnie and tell them we're still alive." He picked up the hairbrush and tossed it back to her.

"I could have won that with my eyes closed," Sapphire said, narrowing her lapis lazuli eyes, and catching the hairbrush easily. She proceeded to drag it through her short hair, so that it was tangle-free.

"Hey, yeah, we're okay. Yes, we're coming home. Really? Awesome. Yeah, see ya," Damon said to whoever had answered the phone. Then he hung up.

"Sorry for being worried about you. You know what they say about that guy, and he lives up to it. The dude's intimidating. It's natural when one sees someone so petite going up to fight against a guy who's seven feet tall, and really tough looking. And you know that I'm a gentleman, deep down," Damon defended himself.

"Your lack of confidence in me stings. Ya know, I think you use all the confidence you could possibly muster for yourself, you egoistical bastard sociopath. As for you being a gentleman, with your behavior, it must be really, really deep down."

"Ouch. That hurts me in here; you know it does. And at least I'm hot," he shot back.

"Oh, really? Then why did that random girl you didn't know turn you down when you asked her on a date?" Sapphire asked, raising an eyebrow.

"She probably had a boyfriend."

"Nobody who dresses like that has a boyfriend. She was a prostitute."

"Dating is like prostitution, but you don't always get what you pay for."

"But she still turned you down."

"…"

"Exactly."

They continued to walk in silence.

"Sapphire, what're ya gonna do after college?" Damon asked, breaking the silence.

"I don't know. I light join the F.B.I., or I might be a professional fighter," she replied after some thought. "I helped them out a bit, and I did grow up at Wammy's. Hell, I coulda joined 'em without going to college if I wanted to."

"Cool. I might do that too, except for the bit about becoming a professional fighter. You know I love those spy-type things. I might also be an artist. I mean, those are my two majors," he said.

"Why not both?" Her question threw him off.

"Well, I'm not efficient enough to do that. Maybe you could do it but not me," he told her, grinning lopsidedly.

"Well, if you were a famous artist, then you wouldn't be kidnapped or anything, 'cuz then the public would know. You're an idiot sometimes, you know. And I'm pretty sure you're not a virgin. One of your many whores came up to me and asked me for your phone number the other day. Stalker, much?" she replied, rolling her eyes.

"I certainly am, to take you in. But why the F.B.I.? They do work for the government. And before we took you in, you were at Wammy's writing angry letters to the government under a bare bulb," he reminded her.

"Wasn't under a bare bulb. I had an awesome room," she said.

"Then why did you leave?"

"Because it was too…constricting. I always had to do this, always had to do it in a specific way. It didn't let me be myself," she replied, bumping him with her elbow.

"Well, now I know why you dyed your hair," he told her, smiling.

"I always wanted to, but I didn't before because it would be to conspicuous, blah, blah, and blah." He smiled at her blatant disregard for fitting in and conforming to society.

"Remember when I asked you why you didn't want to dress like others?" he asked her.

"Oh, yeah," she reminisced.

"You told me the government wanted us to conform, and then you said, 'Why do you conform?' That sentence changed me, you know. It made me wonder why I always listened to my father. And when my mom died, I realized that it was for her," he said, smiling sadly.

"Damon, don't go all Stefan on me. And your father should have accepted you. He was a controlling bastard, and I am glad you're not listening to him anymore," she said proudly.

"Then what kind of bastard am I?" he said mischievously.

"An egotistical, sociopath, psycho bastard, and damn proud of it," she stated, grinning.

"Sounds a lot like me, but even more like you," he said, poking her.

"Maybe the psycho part. I did a lot of insane things back then," she acquiesced, opening the door to their house.

"Hey, guys," Stefan greeted them. "Dinner's on the table."

"'Kay," Sapphire called, dashing to the kitchen to devour the food.

"Hey, why are you guys dressed up?" she wondered.

"You mean Damon didn't tell you?" Katherine said.

"Tell me what?" she said, taking a giant bite out of her huge piece of Chicken Parmesan.

"We aced our exams!" Elena said happily.

"Congrats! You guys were working your butts off, you really deserve it," Sapphire said, warmly.

"So, we're gonna celebrate, but we're not sure where," Jeremy frowned.

"Don't worry, I know a place," Sapphire said dismissively. "Shot not on dishwashing."

"Dammit," Damon grumbled, finishing his food and heading to the sink.

"I'm gonna change," she called, heading up the stairs to her room.

"Shouldn't you two shower?" Stefan asked.

"Nah, we showered at the dojo after we beat the crap out of a couple of people," he said, grinning maniacally.

"I think moving here has made them both more violent," Katherine observed.

"At least they're not trying to kill each other anymore," Elena told her twin.

"Wait, you just finished eating all that in less than ten minutes," Alaric said, amazed.

"We were hungry," Damon defended himself.

"Nah, it's 'cuz you guys went to the dojo, right?" Jeremy asked.

"They always eat like that," Bonnie pointed out. "But what I'd like to know is how they remain skinny and in shape?"

"Well, we do go to the dojo everyday. Kicking ass burns calories." Damon said.

"Seriously?" Elena exclaimed. "But you two are acing all your classes. How do you do that? I heard Criminal Law's crazy hard."

"One, we're brilliant. Two, Thursday's are the only days we go in the evening. And three, Sapphire helps me with Criminal Law, and Art's easy," Damon said.

"And, I'm ready!" Sapphire said, sliding down the handrail. She was wearing a black tank top under a blood-red shirt emblazoned with the word 'Valkyrie', black, ripped skinny jeans, combat boots, and a green hat over her spiky, red and black hair. A large Hoop and two stud earrings on each ear, as well as her trademark red bandana tied around her right upper arm were her accessories, and black finger-less gloves with the Roman numeral 'III' completed the look.

"Let's go," Katherine said, brushing off her purple mini-dress.

"Yeah," agreed Elena, who was wearing a dark green top and a black micro-mini. Damon adjusted his stud earring and opened the door, only to find a man behind it.

"What the hell?" he asked, vocalizing his thoughts. The guy was dressed immaculately in a black business suit with a blue tie.

"Is Sapphire here?" he asked.

"Someone call my name?" she wondered, poking her head out the door. " Who're you?"

"You don't know him?" asked Damon.

"Nope."

"I am Santiago," he said. "And I have a proposition for you."

* * *

><p><span>Me: Oooh, cliffie! I don't know what's gonna happen next! Oh, wait, I'm the author, yes I do...<span>

BUT YOU DON'T! So if you want to know, review, please!


	2. Chapter 2

Me: I don't own, obviously. So a couple of things about this fanfic:

1) It's an AU, they're all human.

2) They're in Japan, and they share a house.

3)Everyone's legal in here

4)There shall be lemons in later chapter, I'll warn you so those who don't like can skip it, sheepies.

5) It's going to start out slow, but don't worry, the plot shall emerge soon-ish. It's going to start out _**SLOW**_.

* * *

><p>"I don't care who the hell you are, or how much money you have. I am not a whore, and I am extremely un-sorry for you," Sapphire snapped, glaring at the now confused Santiago.<p>

"I just want you to join my company," he explained, shocked.

"Oh, sorry, please continue," Sapphire said, nonchalantly.

"Shadow Souls is an underground fighting company," Santiago explained. "I would like you to be a fighter. I saw you fighting the other day, and I think you have what it takes."

"Overlooking the stalking, the answer is yes. Give me a contract, and I'll look it over," she said, grinning. Santiago handed her a booklet, and gave her a business card.

"Call me tomorrow," he said, and walked away into the night.

"What was that all about?" asked Damon.

"He offered me a job as an underground fighter in his company," she told him excitedly. "I said yes, and I have the contract."

"Well, let's go celebrate!" Katherine exclaimed, giving her a huge hug. Sapphire squirmed uncomfortably; she hated hugs. "Come on everyone, group hug!"

"No!" Sapphire exclaimed, ducking under their outstretched arms. "Besides, the place is always packed, so we have to get there early. Oh, and congrats on the exams, I don't know if I told you already, but I'm telling you again!"

!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!

"This is absolutely amazing!" yelled Katherine.

"Love this place!" cried out her twin. The strobe lights flashed all colors, and techno-pop music blared out of the speakers at Las Noches. The bass rumbled through the building, making them feel like their bones were vibrating.

"I know! I come here sometimes!" shouted Sapphire. "What? You all know that I was twenty one in March," she defended herself.

"Sapphire!" exclaimed a huge blue haired guy wearing an open, slightly tattered white jacket with black ripped jeans, baby blue Chucks, and a black earring.

"Hey, Grimmjow! Long time no see," she greeted him.

"'Sup? How ya been?" Grimmjow asked.

"Been good. Got offered a job exactly like yours, beat some really tall, ugly guy in a fight. You?" she summarized.

"Not much," Grimmjow fidgeted.

"Grimm, I know you. Something big happened, and you're gonna tell me what it was," she said, poking his arm.

"I got married to Ichi," he mumbled. Sapphire's face broke into a huge grin.

"Seriously? Congrats, man. Hey, are you blushing?" she asked, peering at his face.

"No, it's just the light. Sorry I didn't invite you," he apologized.

"Nah, don't apologize. I dropped off the face of the earth. Besides, it's probably for the best. I would have had to wear a dress," she shuddered at the thought. Grimmjow snickered. Typical Sapphire this was; she had, and probably always would, despise dresses.

"How's everyone, by the way?" she asked him.

"Oh, they're good. Q's pretty much the same, but I swear you're the only one who can make him laugh. Last time I saw Jiruga, which was this morning, he had a hangover from hell. Hal and Starrk are engaged now," he updated her.

"Ha! I told you so! You owe me a free drink!" she yelled at him, smiling from ear to ear. "Tell 'em I said congrats, will ya?"

"Your usual?" he asked, and she nodded. Grimmjow headed off towards the bar to grab her drink, grumbling about being duped.

"You two know each other?" Stefan asked incredulously.

"No shit, Sherlock," she replied, rolling her eyes. "If I didn't know him, then why the hell would I be talking to him so familiarly?"

"Since when?" Damon changed the subject.

"Um, remember that time I disappeared for three months in the winter? That's when. I went to Germany, and I met him there. And we're friends. It's not that hard, you know," she told them.

"Hey! Where've ya been? It's like ya dropped off the face of the earth!" a voice greeted Sapphire. "I'm not gonna waste time filling ya in, I think Grimm would have done that already. Oh, I'm Ichigo for all you people that don't know who I am. Call me strawberry and I will kick your ass."

"Ya haven't changed much, Ichi," Sapphire observed, giving the orange head a hug.

"Here," Grimmjow said, handing Sapphire her drink, which was electric blue.

"Thanks," she replied, passing him a bill. "You still with the Espada?"

"Yeah, we moved bases to Japan," he shrugged. "Some company called Shadow Souls is here, and Aizen's thinking of a merger."

"I seriously hope that doesn't happen. I don't want to deal with Szayel anymore than I have to," she shuddered.

"You're joining them?" he asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Yep. I got offered the job today," she answered him, a hint of a smile on her face.

"Good! Maybe we'll see each other more often," he said, pulling her into a bear hug.

"And Rukia will stop being obsessed with that ridiculous bunny," Ichigo rolled his chocolate-y eyes, scowling.

"And Gin is gonna open his eyes and stop smiling," Sapphire said. "Face it, Grimm, I'm gonna disappear at least as much as I used to."

"Well, I gotta go. Bunch of people coming in now. See ya around," he waved, heading towards the bar.

"What's an Espada?" Stefan asked, confused.

"You'll find out in due time, Stef," Sapphire patted his shoulder. "I'm gonna dance; I love this song." Sapphire tossed back the rest of her drink and headed towards the dance floor, where the speakers were blaring out Looking Glass by The Birthday Massacre.  
>"One more thing, though," Alaric stopped her. "What was that drink called?"<p>

"That, Rick, was a Blue Motherfucker," she said, leaving them all speechless, with the exception of Damon, who was laughing hysterically.

"She's something else, isn't she?" Ichigo asked them dryly.

"She certainly is," Damon gasped for breath. "I'm Damon Salvatore."

"Ichigo Kurosaki."

"Ichi! You didn't change your last name to match Grimm's?" Sapphire said, popping up. She frowned at the orange head, who scowled even fiercer.

"Fee, that's what wives do. Now do I look like a girl to you?" he glared at her.

"No, but, since Grimm's the dominant one, shouldn't you change your name?" she asked, her face innocent with a devilish gleam in her eyes.

"Sapphire! How do you know that?" he asked, blushing furiously.

"Wow, Ichi, you really do resemble a strawberry right now," she fought and lost to keep a grin spreading across her face.

"Tha-That's not the point! How do you know that?" he yelled, flustered.

"It's not my fault you're so loud. And you scream uke, man. Don't blame me," she flashed him a grin and disappeared before he could strangle her.

"Typical Sapphire. And it doesn't help that Grimm tells her everything," he sighed.

"Aw, ya know ya love me, Ichi," she teased, smiling.

"Get over here!" he shouted at her. Sapphire merely stuck out her tongue and melted into the crowd. The rest of her party just stared on in amazement as the orange haired bartender began to furiously chase their friend.

"She is most definitely something else," Alaric murmured. "But, we're here in an awesome club, so let's have fun, right?"

!~!~!~!~!~!~!

Klaus watched her dancing and playing cat and mouse, of sorts, with that orange haired friend of hers. _So this is the newest addition to our company? She looks weak,_ he mused. He continued to watch as she chatted with…the Sexta Espada? She knew Grimmjow Jeagerjacques, and quite well, it seemed. He shook his head disapprovingly. This was not a good thing for the company. A friendship with a member of a rival company, what was Santiago thinking? He watched her poke a dark haired man in the ribs, and was rewarded with a one-armed hug. This girl would be trouble. He could feel it.

* * *

><p><span>Me: Well, I hope you enjoyed the prologue part 2. The third and fourht chapter shall see some more Klaus and definitely more fighting. Also more Grimm, Ichi, plus so other characters~! One last thing, if you want a particular Bleach or Vampire Diaries character to appear, please tell me in a review or something.<span>


	3. Chapter 3

Me: That was fast!

Damon: I know! You're usually so lazy; you update the next week, or month.

Me:*hits him on head*

Damon: Ow! You hit hard for a human.

Me: Damn right I do. Now important news for all you Vampire Diaries fans who read this.

Damon: I'm amazed.

Me: Shut up.

Damon: Okay.

Me: Thank you. So, important news. The author oceangirl122 has created a roleplay forum for the Vampire Diaries! It's really fun, I promise. Another roleplay forum is one by PAIGEandMARY, so if you're interested, PM them!

Damon: Sounds fun.

Elijah: Sounds dumb.

Me&Damon: If you're just going to sit there and look like an idiot, well more so than usual, then leave.

Elijah: Hey! Fine, I'll say the disclaimer so the readers don't die of your stupid banter. PaintedinAllColors doesn't own the Vampire Diaries or Bleach. But she does own her OC's. 

Me:Thank you, Elijah.

* * *

><p>"Here," Sapphire said, handing Santiago the contract. "I looked it over, and the offer sounds good. It's signed, so I believe we're done with the paperwork."<p>

"Thank you," he said, smiling back at her. She was puzzled; it was actually a genuine smile. "Any questions?"

"No," she replied.

"Good, now go change. You're going to meet your comrades," he dismissed her. Sapphire immediately dashed off to change her clothes; almost tripping over the steps in her haste.

She wasn't what most people would expect in a fighter. Indeed, that was one of the reasons why he had chosen her. Her appearance had even fooled one of her comrades, but he would soon learn that she was quite the fighter. Sapphire was about 5'9", and petite for her age. She couldn't weigh more than one hundred and twenty pounds. But her weight was made up mostly of muscle; he had seen that yesterday when she had been fighting that giant of a man. She had delicate features for a fighter of her caliber, and those would lead her opponents to underestimate her. No wonder she had such a good record; those she faced weren't prepared for her raw strength. She would be an excellent addition to his company.

"Are we allowed to watch her fight?" a voice jolted him from his musings.

"Of course," he replied. "In fact, her first fight is in two days. It's taking place at the corner of St. Teresa and Zangetsu in Tokyo, and it starts at midnight exactly."

"Ready," Sapphire called. She was wearing a simple pair of blue jeans and a purple T-shirt, with the same accessories as before. "Let's go!"

!~!~!~!~!~!

"So this is your headquarters?" Sapphire asked in wonder, staring at the large building in front of her.

"Yes," he smiled. She had been practically bouncing with excitement when she had gotten into the car. "I'll have someone show you around later. But, first and foremost, you need to meet the people you are going to be working with," he told her as the glass elevator rose smoothly to the 23rd floor, where it stopped. They got out and entered a room with a spectacular view of the city. In it were six people, lounging around. As the door opened, they all turned to look at the newcomers.

"So this is the newest addition," a dark haired man with piercing blue eyes said, appraising her coolly.

"Obviously. I'm Sapphire," she said, flashing a quick smile.

"I am Elijah," the brunette said distastefully, barely giving her a glance. Sapphire fought to control her rage at being treated like she was lower than dirt. She suppressed the urge to leap across the room and strangle him.

"I'm Niklaus, but please, call me Klaus," a man with tousled blond hair said, smiling at her. She simply raised an eyebrow at him.

"Name's Matt," a redhead with green eyes said, smiling at her warmly. _Finally, someone who likes me_, she thought relieved.

"Hi, I'm Claudia," a woman with brown hair and expressive gray eyes said, seeming genuinely happy to meet her. "It's nice to have another female in here."

"What do you mean? There are three of us. You, me, and Elijah," Sapphire said, pretending to be confused.

"I'm Nikolai," a carbon copy of Klaus said. They looked exactly alike except that Nikolai's eyes were blue, almost the same color and shade as Sapphire's.

"And I am Sage," a man with bronze skin and long blond hair told her, bowing dramatically. She laughed at the sight of him, and he smiled back crookedly. "I am sure I speak for both myself and Nikolai here when I say that I like you, mon chéri."

"Thanks," she said. "You're from New Orleans, aren't you?"

"Yes," Sage cried out, delighted. "How did you know?"

"The accent is a dead giveaway. I lived in New Orleans for a while, and there's nothing like it," she said, smiling at him.

"Indeed," he replied. "Comment allez-vous?"

"Bon, mais très faim," she replied sheepishly.

"Votre français est excellent, mon petit chéri," Sage said, his booming laughter filling the room. Sapphire laughed at that comment.

'Porquoi tout le monde m'a toujours appelé cela ?' she asked him curiously.

'Parce que vous êtes un petit chéri,' Sage replied. Sapphire sighed in defeat, accepting that she would always be called that in places where French was spoken.

'What are you saying ?' Elijah cried out, frustrated.

'Just that you're ugly, stupid, and weak,' Sapphire shrugged. 'Nothing too insulting. I don't want to scar anyone with the things I have to say about you.' Elijah just stood there with his mouth hanging open, whereas everyone else just stared at Sapphire like she was from another planet.

'Mon chéris petit has quite a sharp tongue, no ?' Sage said, to them, a broad smile on his face.

'Any questions ?' Santiago asked, clapping his hands together.

'Yes, when's my debut and who am I fighting ?' Sapphire asked.

'It's in two days, and you'll be fighting-,'

'B-A-N-A-N-A ! BANANA ! OH YEAH IT'S A BANANA !' Sapphire's ring tone rang out.

'Sorry,' she apologized, answering the phone. 'Oh, hey Grimmy-nii ! No, I won't stop calling you that. Well, who is it ? Seriously ? Awesome !' she hung up, an expression that could only be described as ecstatic on her face.

'Who was that ?' Matt asked curiously.

'The Spoon-head is going down !' Sapphire yelled happily. 'I'm fighting Nnoitra, and he is so dead ! I wonder what his face was like when he found out he was fighting me ?' She snickered at the thought.

'You know the Quinto Espada ?' Santiago was stunned. 'Who were you talking to just now ?'

'Grimmjow,' she replied.

'You're on first name basis with the Sexta Espada ?' he was shell shocked by this revelation.

'And the Decima, Primera, Segundo, Tercero, Cuarto, Septima, Octava, and Novena Espada. Don't forge those creepy people. Do you know Szayel tried to kidnap me to test me to see what genes caused my hair color ? As if he's one to talk his hair's pink, for God's sake. You should've seen his face when I told him that i twas dyed,' she chuckled at the memory.

'Why would he think that your hair was natural, though ?' Nikolai asked, intrigued.

'Because Ichi's hair is orange, Grimm's is blue, Yoruichi's is dark violet, and his is _**pink**_,' she informed them. 'Also, Nel's hair is green, Renji's is fire engine red, Shiro and Toshiro both have snow white hair, and they're not that old. And it's all natural. Even Shiro's eyes.' She sighed in remembrance of a memory from a long time back. 'He has such weird expressions during sex.'

'I'm not even going to ask,' Elijah blinked, while Sage howled with laughter.

'Not that I'd tell you anyway,' she replied casually. 'And, no, I'm not going to tell you any secrets. They are my friends, and I refuse to betray them like that.' She glared at Santiago, who had opened his mouth to say something.

'After hearing that, I may just have to reconsider my offer,' he told her icily.

'Fine. It's not like I can't find a job with another company. The Espada have offered me a job, and so has Gotei 13 and Vizards. I'm kind of leaning towards Vizards, though. Besides, wouldn't you be happy that I know them so well ? I mean, you are considering a merger,' she said dismissively.

'How do you know about that ?' he asked, utterly shocked.

'Grimm told me yesterday,' she shrugged. 'Well, seeing as you don't want me here, I'm gonna head out. I should probably go look over the other contracts now.'

'No, wait, stay ! Nobody will ask you to reveal secrets, just stay !' he pleaded desperately. _But you should slip up sometime soon_, he privately thought, and smirked mentally.

'Sure, but I've been hanging out with people from all those companies for years, and I haven't slipped up, so don't get your hopes up,' she told him, unimpressed.

'Okay, then. Klaus, please show her around the building,' he dismissed them, obviously shaken. Sapphire smirked.

'Sure,' Klaus said, rising from his chair. 'Let's go.' He opened the door and they stepped out.

'She's something else, isn't she ?' Matt commented after they left.

'Yeah, she even managed to manipulate you, Santiago,' Claudia smiled. Santiago sank back into his chair. Nobody had ever been able to read him that well, much less manipulate him. She definitely was special.

!~ !~ !~ !~ !~ !

'So were you bluffing or did you actually get contracts ?' Klaus asked laconically.

'Don't assume that I'm weak because of my appearance,' she glared at him. 'And, yes, I actually got contracts.'

'You're lying there's no way companies like those offered a weakling like you-,' he was cut off abruptly by being flipped over her back and on to the floor.

'Call me that one more time, and I won't be so lenient,' she hissed, stalking away. Klaus winced. She was fast, and she had managed to take him by surprise. Maybe she wasn't so weak after all. That had actually hurt him.

* * *

><p><span>Me: DONE~! Now review please. And don't forget to check out the forums~!<span>


	4. Chapter 4

Me: Okay, here's the update! And even though there aren't any reviews, I wanna thank all you guys for the fav's; it really means a lot to me that you like it! The plot appears in the next few chapters, so it's speeding up. 

Shiro: Finally! And I'm in this chapter too!

Me: Yep! Isn't it great?

Shiro: Yes! Painted-chan doesn't own Bleach or the Vampire Diaries~!

Me: *sigh* It's true...

* * *

><p>"So this is the training place type thingie?" Sapphire asked Sage, poking her head into the room.<p>

"Oui, mon chéri petit. Would you like a spar?" he asked, a gleam of excitement in his eyes.

"Absolutely!" Sapphire yelled happily, causing most of the occupants of the room to stare at her. The other members of the company stood to the side, watching her tape her arms and legs.

"Are you sure about this?" Matt asked her, taping one leg.

"Yep. Why do you ask?" she replied, tilting her head to one side.

"Well, Sage's the third strongest fighter here. The ranking is Klaus, me, Sage, Elijah, Nikolai, and Claudia is last. I'm not sure how strong you are, so I guess we'll find out, huh?" he said, a twinkle of amusement in his green eyes.

"Of course," she told him, standing up gracefully and walking over towards where Sage was waiting.

"You know the rules: No illegal substances or weapons, and the first person to stay down for thirty seconds loses. Other than that, anything goes. Okie, let's fight!" Claudia informed them, stepping back from them.

"You ready?" Sage asked her.

"I think the question here is: are you ready, Sage?" she replied, smirking. She ducked a punch and landed a solid hit to his stomach. Sage doubled up, coughing, and she used that as an opportunity to deliver a roundhouse kick to his back, which left him sprawled out on the floor. She stepped away from his body, knowing that he wouldn't be beaten that easily, an assumption she was correct in making.

"Well done so far, but you know I've been going easy on you, right?" Sage asked, flipping upright.

"Good, I was starting to fall asleep," she retorted, sidestepping what would have been a serious blow to the head gracefully and effortlessly. She outstretched her arm, ready for his next attempt. He came at her from the side, and she dodged it and grabbed his outstretched arm. Sapphire flipped him over her back, and he landed hard. Her eyes narrowed, waiting for his next move, but it never came.

"And the match goes to Sapphire," Claudia declared, helping Sage up.

"Good job," Sage winced. "I think I'm gonna go to the doctor now. I may have fractured a rib." He limped away, leaning on Claudia.

"Wow," Matt said, staring at her in amazement.

"Agreed," Nikolai told him. "That was amazing!"

"That's it?" Sapphire asked in shock. "But I'm still breathing through my nose, my limbs are still functioning, and I'm not even coughing up blood yet!"

"Is that what normally happens when you train?" Klaus asked.

"Well, it's what happened when I did some really hardcore training with the Espada," she replied. "But then again, they were on leave that month, and I guess you can't destroy your opponent's body; it would leave the company at a disadvantage," she conceded. "What's wrong with him?" she asked, noticing that Elijah was just standing there, his eyes bugging out and his mouth slightly opened.

"You know, I don't think he expected you to beat Sage so easily," Nikolai said, draping his arm around her shoulder.

"I don't think any of us did," Matt said, grinning at her.

"Hey, where can I get some food here?" she asked him, smiling back.

"It's only 11:30. Did you have breakfast?" Nikolai asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, but I only had a bagel, a cup of coffee, a bowl of cereal, a bowl of oatmeal, about five pancakes, and an apple. I'm starving," she complained, and her stomach growled as if to prove her point.

"Wow, Matt. She eats like you do," Nikolai commented.

"Well, Sapphire, what do ya say to a lunch date with me and Nicky over here?" Matt asked her, smiling irresistibly.

"Can't, sorry guys," she apologized.

"What, why?" Nikolai asked her.

"I promised Grimm, Ichi, Shiro, and all the others under old man Yamamoto that I'd catch up today over lunch," she explained. "I can't just ditch them. But maybe another time?"

"I still can't get over the fact that you know them all," Nikolai mumbled. "But have fun." He and Matt waved goodbye to her, while Elijah just glared.

!~!~!~!~!~!~!

"Ah, there she is!" exclaimed Shunsui Kyoraku, eighth division captain, alerting the others to her prescence. Grimmjow made room for her in between him and Shiro, and she sat down.

"Hey, guys! What's up?" she smiled at them all, happy to be reunited with her old friends.

"Nothing much," Ulquiorra told her with a miniscule smile.

"See, Nnoi, I told you she could make Q smile," Shinji said to his boyfriend, the ever skinny giant that was Nnoitra Jiruga, Quinto Espada.

"'S not my fault Q don't smile for anythin'. I had a reason ta doubt," he rolled his visible eye. "How ya doin'? Keepin' up with yer trainin'?"

"You'll find out soon, Nnoi," she smirked at him, and was rewarded with his full piano toothed smile.

"Damn right I will," he replied, the grin never leaving his face.

"Congrats on the engagement, Hal," she smiled at the Tercero Espada, who returned it warmly.

"Thanks, and can I ask you a favor?" Halibel wondered.

"I guess," Sapphire said a bit doubtfully.

"Fire, now ya've gone and gotten yerself in a shitload 'a trouble," Shiro laughed, slinging an arm around her shoulder casually.

"Shut up, Shirosaki," Halibel gave him a death glare, and Shiro pretended to fall off his chair. "Anyway, would you be a bridesmaid for our wedding?"

"Sure," she laughed. "Being in a dress's gonna be annoying as hell, but since I missed Grimm and Ichi's, this might make up for it."

"Thanks," Starrk called out lazily from the other side of the table.

"And here's the question everyone wants an answer to," Urahara said cheerily, snapping out his fan. "What have you been up to?"

"Nothing much. I'm studying Criminal Law, and still going to the dojo, and I got a contract and joined Shadow Souls recently," she shrugged.

"Well we can finally see more of you since you're going to be sharing a building with us," Ichigo said, flashing a grin at her.

"Mos' definitely we are," Gin said with his usual grin in place.

"We should order our food now," a voice said calmly.

"Bya-bo! I didn't see you there," Sapphire said, teasing the frigid Kuchiki with his nickname.

"Clearly," Byakuya said with a hint of a smile on his face.

"Guys, can we seriously order now?" the ever loud Renji whined.

"Shut up you idiot! This is a touching moment," Rukia snapped at him. "Sorry about Renji, he's as much an idiot as ever."

"It's fine," Sapphire waved the apology off. "I'm kinda starving myself." Hearty laughter flowed around the table at that comment. _It was good to be back among friends_, she reflected, unaware of the four pairs of eyes trained on her from the shadows.

* * *

><p><span>Oki, that's the update! Enjoy, and please leave a review this time! If so, the lemony goodness comes along faster~!<span>


	5. Chapter 5

Me: AHHHH sorry for the wait! Gomensei! *bows* See, I lost my muse for a bit, but now it is BACK! WOOHOOO! Rejoice! LOL but only if you're actually reading this ^^ So...obviously I don't own. I mean seriously, if I did...well...hehehe I'd rather not say what might happen. So enjoy if you're reading~!

Damon: Uh..Painted-chan, can you please get on with the story?

Me: Wha-? Oh yeah, sure...I gotta go watch Hetalia now...*spaces out* *mumbles* Britain...

Damon: Who is he and is he sexier than me? *shakes me*

Me: Mmmmhhmmmmm...*leaves*

Damon: !

* * *

><p>"So I think we should head back to Las Noches and have some fun," Renji grinned. "Anyone in agreement with me?"<p>

"Wow, Ren. I didn't know you could say such big words! Can you spell it too?" Shiro asked Renji, easily dodging the Wii remote thrown at him.

"I'm in," Shuhei said.

"Sounds fun," Ikkaku agreed.

"Then let's go get drunk," Sapphire cheered, standing up.

"It's only a few block's walk from here," Ichigo told the group, stretching.

"Hello?" Sapphire answered her phone. "Shut up, you psychopath! Oh, fine, you stupid bastard! But if one of your many whores starts stalking me, I will kill you." She hung up, glaring at the phone. "What did I just get myself into?" she asked, exasperatedly staring at the ceiling.

"How should I know? I only heard half of the conversation," Ichigo grinned. "What did you do this time?"

"I agreed to fake date a friend," she said, flopping face down onto a pillow. Everyone in the room burst out into laughter, and even Ulquiorra cracked a smile. "It's not funny!"

"Is too, Fire," Grimmjow gasped in between fits of laughter.

"I hate you all!" she said, her voice muffled by the pillow.

"Come on my little Spitfire. Let's go get wasted," Shiro dragged her off the couch, grinning maniacally.

"Right," she said, regaining her cheeriness. "Let's go. But if I get mauled by his many whores, you're paying the hospital bill."

!~!~!~!~!~!~!

"Wake up, Sunshine~!" Damon said happily, dumping a bucket of ice water onto a still slumbering Sapphire.

"No! Don't do that you damn stupid penguins," she mumbled, simply turning over in her sleep. Damon rolled his eyes, she really could be a pain in the ass to wake up, but he still took pleasure in annoying her, just like she loved irritating the hell out of him.

"Fire, you better hurry up or Stefan will eat all the pancakes," he told her in a singsong voice.

"NO! THE PANCAKES ARE MINE!" Sapphire yelled, waking up immediately. "I'm soaking wet…Damon, you idiot!" she punched him in the face and stalked out of bed and into the shower.

Damon tentatively poked his nose, hoping she hadn't broken it again. He winced. It hurt like hell, but wasn't broken, thank God.

"Hey, Fire, remember our deal?" he sauntered over to the shut bathroom door and leaned against it, grinning. Payback was sweet.

"Huh?" she called back, over the sound of running water. Sapphire grimaced, maybe there was such a thing as partying too hard after all? Her head was throbbing and she felt nauseous. Hangover from hell indeed, she thought, rubbing her temples as the water flowed over her hair.

"Ya know," he closed his eyes, grinning even wider, "the one where you promised to fake date me?" Three, two, one…he counted mentally.

"DAMON WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN BY THAT!" she burst out of the bathroom, a towel loosely wrapped around her chest, an expression of absolute horror on her face.

"You agreed…last night," he prompted, enjoying every minute of this.

"Oh, I guess I did," she shrugged nonchalantly. "Now will you get out so I can change?"

"Uh, sure," he said, bewildered that she was so calm about it. "Fire, are you in shock?" he asked on his way out, tossing a concerned glance back at his friend.

"Nah, it's the hangover," she explained, waving him away. "I'll react properly when we're done with the tacos."

"Hangover cure of the gods, yeah?" he grinned, heading out and shutting the door behind him. He heard her snicker behind the mahogany wood, and smiled.

!~!~!~!~!~!

"Wha' im' ith it?" Sapphire asked Damon through a mouthful of taco.

"Um…ten…ah hell, we're almost late!" Damon's eyes widened as he took in the time.

"Crap!" Sapphire cursed mildly, cramming the rest of her taco into her mouth and joining Damon on their mad dash to the car. The restaurant owner watched them, amused, as he shook his head and continued sweeping the floor. Kids these days…

"Damon, step on it!" Sapphire shouted as she jumped into the car, shoving her backpack into the front seat before her. She slammed the door shut just as Damon had stepped on the gas, and soon they were off, shooting through the streets of Japan to Tokyo Tech.

"Come on," he growled as they were forced to stop for a red light, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel impatiently.

"Go!" Sapphire cried as soon as the light changed, and the sleek, black, Ferrari was once again moving dangerously near to the speed limit. Luckily, their university was only a few blocks away, and they reached the parking lot with four minutes to spare.

"Phew," Damon sighed with relief as he sank down into his seat next to Sapphire, both having made it precisely on time.

"Ditto, man," she replied, grabbing her notebook and pen in preparation for the lesson. "Thank God we arrived on time, you know how this guy can be."

!~!~~!~!~!~!~!

"Hey, Sapphire!" a voice rang out as she and Damon approached his car. "Dude, nice ride," Matt's viridian eyes widened as he took in the car.

"Thanks, man," Damon replied, grinning.

"'Sup, Matt?" she tilted her head, regarding her coworker.

"Your debut's today, or did you forget?" he smiled at her, ruffling her hair.

"Course not," she scoffed. "I'll be there."

"Want a lift?" Damon inquired of the redhead, who shook his head, and waved them off before turning around and walking his own way. As the black car drove away, a blond man walked up to him.

"Oh, hi Klaus," he said, continuing to walk.

"Matt, you know what we saw yesterday?" Klaus pressed.

"Yeah…what of it?" Matt replied, already knowing what was coming.

"We should confront her."

"It's not worth the trouble, besides, the boss already knows she has friends in the other companies."

"Yes, but what if she decides to go easy on them because of it?" he stared at the other, teal and viridian connecting intensely.

"She won't," Matt said easily, breaking the eye contact. "Sapphire's not that kind of girl."

"I hope you're right," Klaus muttered darkly.

!~!~!~!~!~!~!

"Ready!" Sapphire called, walking into the room where everyone was sitting around, tense.

"I assume you know what to do?" Santiago raised an eyebrow coolly.

"Uh-huh," she grinned, eyes sparkling with anticipation. She rocked on the balls of her feet, staring out the window and into the venue where the semi-illegal fight was being held. _Dirt floor_, she observed. _Better to take a fall on than concrete. A large space, good. Nnoi's a fast bastard with long reach. And tightly packed too. _

"People are starting to come in," Nikolai noted.

"Do try not to disappoint," Santiago told her.

"I won't," she replied, meeting his eyes and the hidden challenge in his voice. Santiago merely chuckled. This one could play mind games with the best, and fight with the best, too. He watched as people began to trickle into the 'arena'. _We'll see about that last part now, won't we?_


End file.
